Improvement in ruling attachments for pen-holders



J..HOPPMAN. Ruling- Attachments for Pen-Holders;

No. 210,256. Patented Nov. 26,1878.

N- FETEHQ. PNOTO-LITHOGHAFHER, WASHINGTON/D. C,

UNITED STATE s PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH HOFFMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN RULING ATTACHMENTS FOR PEN-HOLDERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 210,256, dated November26, 1878; application filed November 13, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH HOFFMAN, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RulingAttachments for Pen-Holders, of which the following is a specification:

The ruling attachment to which my invention relates is a device intendedto prevent th]: edge of a ruler from being smeared with in Such a devicehas heretofore been attached to pen-holders, and is, broadly considered,not new with me. i

The main feature of the device has been a guard-rod arranged parallelwith the penholder, in a position to be intermediate between the sameand the edge of the ruler, and so combined with the said pen-holder thatit may be moved down into position whenrequired for use, and then movedback out of the way when no longer required.

In one instance this rod has been arranged to slide in a sheath, and hasbeen provided with a locking device to secure it in its lowest position,and with a retracting-spring to throw it up when it is unlocked. Thisarrangement, however, is defective, in that it is not only expensive andcomplicated, but cumbersome as well.

In another instance it has been mounted on a sleeve encircling thepen-holder, and this sleeve has been slotted to engage a guide-pin onthe pen-holder; but this arrangement, too, is open to objection.Inasmuch as a considerable range of movement is required for the sleeve,the slot therein must be of a corresponding length, and thisnecessitates making the sleeve long, encumbering the pen, and involvingthe use of more metal than is desirable. The securing of the guide-pinto the pen-holder also involves some additional expense.

' In still another instance the guide-rod has been swiveled or pivotedto the pen-holder, but this arrangement, too, has its objections, for itbecomes necessary to provide some means for looking it in its lowestposition to prevent it from swinging out of the way when in use, andthis, as well as the riveting necessary to secure it to the pen-holder,involves considerable expense and trouble.

The arrangement which I have devised for the purpose is, I believe, opento none of the objections above referred to.

My attachment consists of a simple narrow fillet or ring, whichencircles and is adapted to slide on the pen-holder. To this fillet isattached the guard-rod, and there is provided also on said ring orfillet a projection or tongue adapted to enter and follow a guidegrooveformed in and lengthwise of the penholder, which groove can be of anylength required for the range of movement desired for the attachment.

In the accompanying drawing I have represented the manner in which Iprefer to carry my invention into efiect.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pen-holder with ruling attachmentcombined therewith in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a view ofthe attachment detached. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the pen-holder.

The pen-holder A, of otherwise ordinary or suitable construction, isprovided with a longitudinal groove, a, extending from the rear .of thepen-holder a proper distance toward the nib end thereof.

The attachment consists of a fillet or ring,

B, to which is attached a guard rod or strip,

1). There is also formed on the fillet a projection or tongue adapted toenter the groove in the pen-holder. This tongue is preferably placed atthe rear of the fillet, and is prefer ably formed by the rear end of theguide-rod b, which is bent inwardly, as seen at c. The ring is readilyslipped on the pen-holder, the tongue 0 entering and following thegroove to. The tongue-and-groove arrangement assures the rod in itsproper position on the pen-holder, while the groove permits the ring tobe moved forward or back on the pen-holder, according as the attachmentis or is not required for use.

An annular groove opening into the rear end of the longitudinal grooveto may be formed on the pen-holder, into which the tongue 0 can enterwhen the ring is retracted, thus permitpen is put to its ordinary use;or, in lieuof this with the fillet or ring mounted thereon andarrangement, a space constituting a groove provided with a guard rod orstrip and a may be formed or left between the rear end of tongue,substantially as set forth. the pen-holder and the pen-handle on whichIn testimony whereof I have hereunto set the holder is mounted. my handthis 12th day of November, 1878. Havin now described my invention andthe manner in which the same is or may be car- JOSEPH HOFFMAN i'ied intoeflect, what I claim, and desire to se- Witnesses:

cure by Letters Patent is J. BRAISTED,

The grooved pen-holder, in combination JOE W. 'SWAINE.

